Bottle-stopper.



A. L. CURREY.

BOTTLE STOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1. I916.

* a ro.

BOTTLE-STOPPER.

. Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed July 7, 1916. Serial No. 107,926.

To all whom it may concernk citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and btate of Illinois, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Bottle-Stoppers, (Case 1,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact descriptiomrefen ence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to bottle stoppers and broadly stated, the object of my invention is to produce a stopper of corkor other. suitable material provided with means whereby the stopper may readily and easily be withdrawn from its other receptacle without using a cork screw or other extraneous stopper removing device. 1

" As will more fully hereinafter appear, I

provide a device desirably in the form of an integral piece of sheetmeta'l, which is arranged to be inserted into the stopper conveniently at the time thelatter is made-,the device being conformed to'lock'itseli' into the body of the stopper when so inserted, and thus to all intents and purposes constitut ing an integral partof the stopper. The device referred to comprises a head conveniently provided with an eye and a shank integral with the head and projecting therefrom, with that end of the shank opposite the head pointed to facilitate the insertionofthe shank into a stopper. At a number of points along its lateral edges the shank is cut or slit along lines oblique to the edges of the shank, and the metal adjacent said slits is turned out wardly from the plane of the shank to provide pointed wings which serve securely to lock the shank in the body of the stopper when the; shankjis inserted into the stopper. The head is desirably so arranged that it may be turned from the plane of-the shank to the plane of the stopper top,"so that the head is out of the way when'not in use.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure l is a viewin perspective of a bot tle provided with a stopper embodying the Be it known that I, ARTHUR L. GURREY, a

associated bottle or metal adjacent provided with a stopper ll of any suitable material, but preferably cork; At 12 is illustrated-the stopper removing device which characterizes my present invention.

This stopper removing device preferably consists of a single piece of sheet metalconformed to provide a shank 13 and a head 14, th'ehead 14 being provided with an aperture 15. 7 That end of the shank opposite the head 14: is desirably pointed in order that the stopper removing device may be inserted into the stopper, as is most clearl illustrated in Fig.

At a plurality of points along its lateral edges the shank 13 is slit along lines oblique tothe lateral edges of the shank, and the said slits is turned from the plane 'of the shank; to provide a plurality of upwardly pointing sharpened ears 16 46. It will be noted that certain of the ears 16-16 project from one side of the shank and theother ears from the opposite side of the-shank. In providing a stopper with the removing device the sharpened end of the shank is thrust downwardly into the body of the stopper preferably until only the head 14 projects from the stopper, as is illustrated in Fig. 2. It will beunderstood that the upwardly pointing ears 16 permit the shank to be thus inserted into the stopper, but effectually serve to engage in the stopper to prevent the withdrawal of the shank. I find it desirable to construct the stopper removing device of metal sufiiciently tough and pliable to permit the head 14 to be turned at right angles to the shank, and so that it lies parallel to and immediately adj acent the upper surface of the stopper, as is illustrated in Fig. 1. The stopper removing device is thus normally out of the way. When the stopper is to be removed the head 14 is raised to lie in the plane of the shank, as shown in Fig. 2, and the head 14 may be grasped to remove the cork. In cases where the stopper fits rather tightly a nail, pencil or other similar article may be inserted through the aperture 15, and the very good Patented Jul 17, lair.

hold thus afforded renders the removal of I the stopper a very simple matter.

It will be seen that after the stopper re moving device has been inserted into the associated stopper the stopper and stopper removing device constitute an inseparable unit.

The stopper removing device illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is provided with a relatively long and narrow shank having three oblique slits therein, two at one edge of the shank and one at the opposite edge. Where a long narrow shankis desired three very effective sharpened ears or prongs may be provided by slitting the shank as illustrated in Figs. l and 5.

VVhile I prefer that the head of the stopper removing device shall lie within the margins of the stopper top when the head is turned to lie parallel to the stopper top a head of larger size may be employed, as shown in Fig. v6. When the arrangement shown in Fig. 6 is made use of the aperture in the head may be sufficiently large to permit a finger to be inserted therein.

Attention is called to the fact that the lower end of the shank terminates above the bottom of the stopper and that therefore the metalof the stopper removing device cannot affect or be affected by the contents of the bottle. 1 r

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

- 1. An extractor comprising an integral flat metal shank pointed at one end, whereby it may be inserted in a stopper of cork or the like, said shank having a plurality of slits formed therein along lines extending downwardly and angularly from its lateral edges, the ,metal adjacent said slits being turned fromthe plane of the shank to provide upwardly pointing projections substantially as set forth. 7

2. In combination with a stopper, an extractor comprising a flatmetal shank embedded in the stopper and projecting downwardly from the top thereof, and a pointed ear on theshank provided by forming a slit in one of the edges of the shank and turning the metal adjacent said slit from the plane of the shank.

3. A device adapted to be inserted in. a bottle stopper for the purposeset forth comprising an integral piece of flat metal conformed to provide ashank pointed at one Copies of this patent may be obtained for ave cents each, by addressing the end and having an apertured head at its other end, the said shank being slit from its edges along lines oblique thereto and the metal adjacent said edges being turned from :the plane of the shank to provide pointed projections which prevent the shank from being withdrawn after it is inserted in a stopper.

4'. A device adapted to be inserted in a stopper for the purpose set forth, comprising an integral piece of flat metal conformed to provide a shank pointed at one end, said shank being slit from its lateral edges along lines oblique thereto, and the metal adjacent said slits being turned from the plane of the shank to provide pointed ears which prevent withdrawal of the shank after the latter has been inserted in a stopper.

5. A device arranged to be inserted in a stopper for the purpose set forth, comprising a flat metal shank slit from its edges along lines oblique thereto and having the metal adjacent said slits turned from the plane of the shank to provide pointed projections which prevent withdrawal of the shank when the latter is inserted in a stopper.

6. In combination with a stopper a metal member comprising a shank embedded in the stopper and projecting from the top thereof, an aperture in the projecting end of said metal member and pointed ears on said shank formed by slitting the shank from its lateral edges along lines oblique thereto and turning the metal adjacent said slits from the plane of the shank.

.7. In combination with a stopper, .an extractor comprising an apertured head and a straight flat metal shank formed integral with said head, said shank extending into the upper surface of the stopper and embedded in the stopper, and a plurality of pointed projections in said shank provided by forming slits in the shank, each slit extending from one edge of the shank toward the middle thereof, and turning the metal adjacent said slits from the plane of the shank.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 10th day of June, A. D. 1916.

ARTHUR L. OURREY.

Witnesses:

MARY A. Coon, A. G. MCCALEB.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

